JCB has today stopped production at all of its UK manufacturing plants as disruption resulting from the worldwide coronavirus pandemic causes an unprecedented reduction in global demand.
The company is halting production for the rest of this week and the whole of next week at its nine manufacturing plants in Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Wrexham.
Shop floor employees affected by the move will be paid in full during this period. No decision has yet been taken on what happens from the week commencing Monday, March 30 and beyond. Office staff will continue to work a 39-hour week, with many working from home, in support of the government’s social distancing policy.
“These measures are unprecedented in the history of JCB but are absolutely necessary to protect the business,” says JCB CEO Graeme Macdonald. He adds that as the company continues to deal with the health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more challenging to maintain business continuity in this volatile economic climate.
“JCB is a global exporter and worldwide demand for our products has dropped sharply as customers cancel orders and defer deliveries. This is not just a UK issue, it is worldwide and with countries like France, Spain and Italy going into lock-down, those key markets for construction equipment disappear overnight.”
Closing the plants will allow the company to take stock of the situation, re-plan the order book, prioritise products that are definitely required by customers, and ensure parts and components are reassigned to support the production of these products.
JCB’s plant in Pudong, near Shanghai, ceased production last month as the impact of the pandemic initially took hold. After several weeks of disruption, the factory is now fully operational again.
